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By now you all know that there are certain brands to which I have a deep-seated loyalty. One of them, of course, is McDonalds. (Quick recap: my first job was at Mickey D’s; I worked there for more than two years, at a brand new store just outside the grounds of my high school. Since then, I have deeply admired the company itself, not only for the product but also for the inner workings and the good it does for the community)
I have two McDonalds-related items to share with you today. The first is the new Angus Deluxe Snack Wrap. (YUM.) I was given a coupon for a free one when I attended the CheeseburgHer party at BlogHer in New York City last month (McDonalds was, of course, the main sponsor), and though they served the new wraps at the party, I stuck to tradition with a cheeseburger.
I was looking forward to trying the Angus Deluxe Snack Wrap because, as you might recall, I reviewed the Big Mac Snack Wrap a few months ago and though I liked it, the Big Mac isn’t “my sandwich”.
And, truth be told? The Angus BURGER isn’t my style either: I don’t like the bun they use: it’s too “bready”. (You’re probably thinking, “Sheesh Melisa, then what IS your burger???” I rather enjoy the Big & Tasty, the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, or, on occasion, the Double Cheeseburger. Happy?)
Because I’m not a big fan of the bun on the Angus BURGER, I thought that the Angus Deluxe Snack Wrap might be absolutely perfect for me; what better way to get over the obstacle of a bun that’s overkill to me? Use a tortilla instead!
So I tried it. And I LOVED it. LOVED it. LOVED it. LOVED it. (probably too much, admittedly, because I went back two days later and had one for lunch again.)
I was lovin’ it all over the place.
Here’s the thing, though. I still, just like with the Big Mac Snack Wrap, have a problem with this being called a “Snack Wrap”. This is no snack. The calorie count on the Angus Deluxe Snack Wrap is 410, with 220 of the calories coming from fat. THAT SAID, it does have less calories and fat in it than the Big & Tasty and the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, which, if you were paying attention a couple of paragraphs ago, you’ll recall are my favorite McDonalds’ burgers.
So, FOR ME, the Angus Deluxe Snack Wrap would be a good substitution for a burger on occasion. It’s a better CHOICE (for a meal, not a snack in my opinion), and one of the things that’s great about McDonalds is that they offer lots of CHOICES.
The cost of an Angus Deluxe Snack Wrap (around here, anyway) is $1.99, which is cheaper than one of my favorite burgers too. Calorie savings + money savings = Win.
The other thing I wanted to tell you about McDonalds is a new way the company came up with, to get more money donated to their “Charity of Choice”, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). The RMHC helps families who have sick children by giving them a comfortable place to stay (and lots of support!) when their child is in the hospital. Now, for the first time ever, proceeds from every Happy Meal sold, every day, are going to the RMHC. (and you know they sell LOTS of Happy Meals!)
In addition to that, they have begun a program called “Family Time is Happy Time!” Through this program, you can pledge minutes to spend doing something fun (“happy time”!) with your family. When you do that, it’s a win-win because McDonalds will donate a penny for every minute you pledge, to the RMHC, so that the families who utilize them can enjoy some Happy Time of their own. The company goal is one million minutes of pledged time, which makes a $10,000 donation to the families of RMHC.
I just pledged 120 minutes myself, for a family movie night. Want to participate? (Seriously, how could you not?) The widget is on the McDonalds Facebook page under the “Happy Meal” tab near the top. But guess what? I’m making it even easier for you: I installed the widget right over there ———–> so you don’t even have to leave this page to participate! This whole process takes about 90 seconds, so I challenge each and every one of you to first count YOUR blessings, and then click on my widget over there ———-> to provide the RMHC families with $1.20 of that $10,000 goal. I’m going to leave the widget there until September 30, unless the company-wide goal is met before then.
Well? What are you waiting for?
Oh, and have a great weekend!
